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Watchdog Groups: Northwestern Must Do More to Combat Anti-Semitic Graffiti

Twenty-three anti-Semitism watchdog groups from across the country have signed a letter to the president of Northwestern University expressing their concerns for Jewish students on campus after anti-Semitic graffiti was discovered on campus last week.

The letter to university President Morton Schapiro outlined steps it encouraged campus officials to take "to deter future acts of anti-Jewish bigotry and demonstrate unequivocally your commitment to protecting Jewish students and all students on your campus."

The groups asked that the university "swiftly, forcefully and publicly acknowledge that swastika graffiti is an act of anti-Semitism and will not be tolerated on campus."

The letter also asks that the school publicly commit to educating its staff, including campus police, in identifying anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic hate crimes. It goes on to ask that Northwestern formally adopt the U.S. State Department's definition of anti-Semitism "to fully and accurately identify all future acts of hate toward Jews," and to allocate resources to educate students about anti-Jewish discrimination.